Stafford Hospital: new legal challenge to Mid Staffs Trust decision

A last-ditch bid to stop the Mid Stafs NHS Trust being dissolved is being launched today by Stafford's Labour prospective parilamentary candidate.

According to campaign group Support Stafford Hospital (SSH), Kate Godfrey (will lodge papers today in the Court Of Appeal calling for a judicial review into the decision by the Secretary of State for Health to dissolve the Mid Staffordshire Trust.

But the campaign group is not involved in the latest legal move. Instead they are looking at other possible legal challenges, said SSH chair Sue Hawkins.

"Both before and since the Secretary of State’s decision, SSH have worked hard to scrutinise the process and final decision," she said.

"We have also taken legal advice and opinion from solicitors and a QC, all of which led the group to agree that our best course of action, on behalf of the community and staff, is to pursue other legal options, including a possible future judicial review into other aspects of the ongoing process or other legal devices which may be available.

"We are continuing to actively explore these options, whilst scrutinising the ongoing transition of governance of the Trust and campaigning for increased transparency and equal representation on the new trust board."